Neriman Days
by Soumyee
Summary: A collection of drabbles and ficlets revolving around the Ranmaverse. Mostly Ranama x Akane shipping, but I like to experiment all kinds of ships! :D
1. Dangerous Territory

_**Disclaimer: **Ranma belongs to me. Yes, you read that right. I said, Ranma belongs to me. ...._

_.... _*CHRIIINGG*_ Oh, is that the alarm? It's morning already? GAAAHHH... Gotta get up, no more time to dream.... ToT  
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_**Dangerous Territory**_

It was a sweltering evening, and the streets were empty, the people seeking relief inside their houses. Dark rainclouds gathered overhead, promising a welcome respite later. Akane hurried along the sidewalk, keeping away from shadows, clutching a package securely to her chest. She cast worried glances over her shoulder, eyes flitting from every murmur of the feeble breeze to the soft click of her heels on the cobbles underneath. Her right hand gripped a gun tightly, ready, poised to aim. She had to deliver her package, without fail, against all odds_._

Even if the odds were Ranma.

She knew she was on dangerous territory here. She was on his turf. And she had something that he wanted. And Ranma Saotome always got what he wanted.

An audible sigh escaped her lips as she saw the white picket fence that signaled that she had arrived at her destination. She increased her pace, practically flying to the gate set into the fence. For a single moment, she transferred her gun to her left hand, the same hand that clutched the package, and held out her right hand to undo the latch on the gate.

A shadow flitted across the corner of her vision. Too late, one leg already a step inside the gateway, she realized her folly. Her hand let go of the gate, and it slammed shut on well-oiled hinges, smashing into her leg. Blinded by pain, she fumbled to snatch her gun into a firm right-handed grip—

A flurry of blue eyes and lethal fingers pounced on her. Desperately, she brought her gun up and fired; Ranma flipped over her shot, over her head, and into the nearest tree. And Akane felt the loss of the weight of the package against her chest.

"NOOO!" A guttural cry escaped her lips, her fists clenching and unclenching.

Overhead, _neko_-Ranma happily clawed open the package and tore into the delectable Sashimi that Kasumi had made with so much care for her fiancé, Dr. Tofu.

A thin stream of water dripped in the wake of the now useless gun in Akane's hand.

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_I wanted to make the suspense more... uhh.... SUSPENSEFUL! But... :'( _

_As it is, I had to beat up the words to make them even remotely express what I wanted to... Ah, and Akane was carrying a water-gun so that she could change neko-Ranma back to normal, which, obviously, she couldn't! :D  
_

_Anyways, I learned something while writing this. Sushi is NOT a fish recipe. It's a rice recipe, and adding fish to it is optional. Sashimi primarily consists of raw fish served with sauce or wasabi paste with certain other condiments and garnishes. And here, I always thought sushi was synonymous to fish... =.="_

_If you liked this little piece, please read and review!! ^o^  
_


	2. Tangled Wines of Love

**_Disclaimer:_** _Soon... *rubs hands greedily* Very soon... Just a few more centuries, and my plan will succeed..... =.="_

_YAY!! I got a couple of reviews! *Hugs reviewers* Thank you so much! That made my day!! Here's the next ficlet, posted earlier than planned! ^o^  
_

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_**_Tangled Wines of Love_**

**_Warning: _**_Drinking is hazardous to health._

**_Warning no. 2: _**_So is Kurobara no Kodachi._

AHH! Too late!

Akane looked on in shock at the unbelievable scene unraveling before her poor hurting eyes. _'Ranma... No, don't do this...' _Her heart ached; her whole frame trembled in untold agony. For Ranma Saotome, the Knight in Chinese Shirt of sweet Akane's dreams, had ignored both warnings, gotten smack drunk upon _Kurobara no Kodachi's_ alcohol laced cookies and was currently doing the unthinkable.

He was on his knees in the middle of the Tendo kitchen, surrounded by the complete Nerima crew, trying to confess his love to Kasumi Tendo.

"Kasumi-san, I know this is _-hic- _sudden. And I know you have never thought of me like that. But _-hic-_ You've always been very very kind to me." Ranma proclaimed, holding Kasumi's ladle-free left hand in both of his own.

"Ara Ranma-kun, you're such a nice boy." Kasumi hummed happily as she stirred the _oden _with her ladle-full right hand.

"I am kind to you too, Ran-chan!" Ukyo wailed. "I give you free _okonomiyaki!_"

"I know, Kasumi-san, you'll not _-hic-_ laugh at me if I tell you my feelings." Ranma continued, ignoring the complete Nerima crew and focusing on the sweet homemaker. "You've always _-hic-_ treated me with respect."

"Thank you, Ranma-kun." Kasumi smiled down at him, then turned towards the fridge to retrieve some eggs. Ranma followed, hanging onto her left hand, shuffling on his knees.

"Aiyaah! Airen, what you saying? Shampoo kind to Airen too!" Shampoo contributed her two yen.

Ranma closed his eyes and took a deep steadying breath. "_-Hic-_". So much for deep steadying breath. Ah, hell, who cares? There were more important matters to attend to. He opened his eyes, and they _burned_ with a drink enhanced fervor. "KASUMI-san!" He yelled, finding his passion too much to control anymore and feeling the need to unburden himself. "I've long held these words in my _-hic-_ heart, waiting for you to hear them! And I can't _-hic-_ wait no more!"

"Yes, YES, Ranma-kun! I take you as my rightful son-in-law!!" Soun rejoiced. Akane shot him a _dirrrttyyy _glare. He suddenly stopped dancing and decided he wanted a bath.

"That's my son! Go, boy! Tell her your love!!" Genma cheered, mumbling to himself, "One Tendo daughter-in-law is as good as the other". Akane shot him an _icy_ glare. He suddenly stopped as well and decided he wanted a _hot_ bath.

"Ah yes, Ranma-kun. Could you please pass the salt from over there?" Kasumi gently said.

"_Hai_, Kasumi-san." Ranma stood up, let go of her left hand, staggered over to fetch the salt and handed it to her.

"Thank you, Ranma-kun. You were saying?" Kasumi put down the ladle and picked up the salt with her right hand, as Ranma knelt down and re-grasped her left hand.

"Kasumi-san! I wanted to say that I- I-"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" Wailed the fiancée component of the Nerima crew plus mummified crone.

"YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!" Hissed the rival component of the Nerima crew plus bathing fathers.

"Hmmm..." Speculated the fear-thy-mistress component of the Nerima crew – Nabiki Tendo.

Heedless to all, Ranma Saotome, stealer of several female and one male hearts and bruiser of several male and one female ego, proudly declared his undying love to the light of his life. "Kasumi-san, I've finally come to peace with my female form and realized my true calling! Kasumi-san! _Will you help me become a perfect homemaker like you?!!"_

"Dinner is ready, _minna-san_." Kasumi sang.

_ "__-Hic-__"_

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_This one was written long long ago, for some other story that I can't even remember the plot for... =.=" Yesterday, while fishing for ideas for the next ficlet, I re-discovered this one and so it's here! _

_My, this one does seem better than my recent attempts... I'm getting more and more sluggish in my recent stories... I feel like a slug... __=.="_

_BTW, did anyone spot the pun in the chapter title? *scrunchy eyes*  
_

_Bribe me!! :D *Kyun~kyun*  
_


	3. Cookie Monster

**_Disclaimer:_**_ Ranma doesn't belong to me... Not yet, but not to worry ladies and gentlemen! I'm running a major underworld operation to seize all rights to Ranma 1/2! *fufufu*_

_Major Ranma/Akane shipping!!! ^o^ I love them both, they're so made for each other!  
_

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_**Cookie Monster**_

He looked into her eyes, so brown and big. It wasn't the first time he had noticed them, of course. He had seen them in a million waking and not-so-waking moments, always brown, but not always so big. Sometimes, they were narrowed in anger, mostly at him, occasionally at the other sundry Neriman martial artists. Sometimes, closed under dreamy eyelashes – on the nights he had forayed valiantly to evict the pesky P-chan from her bed. Sometimes, they would be glazed – in class during History, on the rooftop watching the moon with him. Sometimes, they were sharp, focused not furious, while she went through a _kata_, or tried out a new technique.

Today, they were big. And he could see the light hazel flecks in their irises, and the tiny shining dots in the corner of each eye, and he knew they held the promise of a thousand dancing stars if he did not let them down.

Slowly, one by one, he popped the misshapen cookies into his mouth, watching as her eyes softened, and fulfilled their promise.

'_Star-crossed_,' he thought, for the first time in his life using such a big word. He could feel the impending gastronomic doom the cookie monsters would bring upon him. And yet, he did not care... For a pair of starry eyes clouded out all thought....

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_This one is set during the episode I-forgot-its-name where Ranma runs away from Akane's cookies and then falls into a trap by Kodachi. Kodachi then blackmails him with a photograph of him lying on top of her, spurring him to visit the Kuno household and confront her. Akane follows, predictably, thinking that he has gone with Kodachi because he likes her cookies more. And she sulks! :D _

_And Ranma bravely decided to eat her cookies just to see her smile! *They're so adorable together! Moe moe~*_

_So, I decided to focus more on her eyes than her smile in this fic._

_The allusion to star-crossed is meant to be a pun. Describing how her eyes are lit up, as well as signifying the impending doom looming upon Ranma's ill-fated highly abused stomach! :D  
_

_Won't you please review? *Puppy eyes with cherry on top* _

_^o^  
_


	4. Memories of Love

**_Disclaimer:_**_ Would you think I was like Kuno if I cried out, "The pigtailed man doth belongst to my noble samurai self!" ...??_

_No, I'm not a samurai... _

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_**Memories of Love**_

Her tinkling laughter floated upon the breeze, carrying with it the warmth that could always heal his soul and bring a smile to his lips. She was so beautiful. Standing under the cherry blossom trees, the wind eddying the pale pink petals at her feet... She raised her hand and tucked her short cropped hair behind her ear, and turned to look at him. He loved how her warm brown eyes would crinkle in a smile every time she looked at him.

She beckoned him. He followed her. Hands came together and held so tenderly, one large and strong and the other soft yet firm. As one, they began walking, her skirt fluttering in their wake.

The morning sun shone upon his closed eyes, and he opened them slowly, savoring the last wisps of the beautiful dream. There was a soft warm weight against his side. He looked down and felt his heart become so light with love and yet so heavy with care at the sight.

"Akane…" he whispered.

Gingerly sitting up, Soun gathered his six year old daughter into his lap. Little Akane stirred feebly, on the verge of wakefulness and a large hand lovingly patted her back to sleep. Lifting his daughter carefully, Soun carried her to her room and tucked her into bed. With a last pat on her head, he walked out of the room and down the hallway, pausing momentarily to look at his wife's shrine.

"Kimiko, good morning…"

Soun Tendo felt content.

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_Ha HA! Bet you thought it was Ranma, right? ;) _

_...And if you didn't think so, please do remember I didn't actually bet any money. goodies or anything else... =.=_

_:D But I really really really really (to the power 100) hope **someone **fell for it! There was this time when everyone played pranks on April Fools' Day and I fell for all the pranks... And no one fell for mine... *Goes and sulks in a corner* _

_I am running out of ideas for this series... Someone throw some at me! *Uwaaaaaah*_

_...._

_I don't like crybaby Soun._

_...._

_My rants are longer than the actual stories... *sweatdrop*  
_


	5. Ten Reasons to Hate Ranma Saotome

_**Disclaimer:**_ _If I owned Ranma 1/2, I'd not be writing pathetic fanfics about it... I'd have the REAL thing! ^o^_

_I didn't get even a single review... *sniff sniff" I feel unloved... ToT__  
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**Ten Reasons to Hate Ranma Saotome – quote, Akane Tendo**_

1. I KNOW he does perverted things to his girl side! I know! _Ranma no hentai!_

2. He calls me uncute! Fat! Thighs like bricks! Alright, alright! _His girl form may be prettier than me, but how insensitive can he be?!_

3. He loves having those girls hanging off his arms. That _womanizer!_

4. He never eats what I cook! Okay, so I know I can't cook that well, but doesn't mean he goes running to Ukyou and Shampoo everytime! At least try it out first _you baka!_

_5. And _he picks on P-chan! What a bully!

6. He refuses to take me seriously! Dammit! _I'm a martial artist!_

7. He _never_ pays attention in class! _Never!_ What does he think he is? A genius who doesn't need to study? That jerk!

8. He breaks my window _every time_ whenever someone comes along to challenge him! HMPH!! _Who does he think has to pay Nabiki for repairs?!_

9. ……. Wait, something must be wrong with my mind. I can't think of anymore. Uh… there has to be more. Maybe I have a fever…. Wait, it must be Ranma's fault I'm like this! I KNOW! That _baka! _I **will** finish my ten reasons!

10. He… he… he snores! Yeah! He snores!

Having somewhat vented her hatred for Ranma, Akane dusted off her hands and stood up. Stretching her arms, she decided to go work out in the dojo. The venting process, she decided, hadn't quite worked as well as she had hoped. The last bit had not come out quite right. She needed to think, that was it. A little workout would help clear her mind and then she could come back and rewrite the last two reasons.

A crash resounded throughout the room and a blast of black petals swarmed upon her. A stinging cut streaked upon her back as she was suddenly flung across the room. She braced her arms to protect from the imminent collision against the wall—

The door _slammed_ open and Ranma caught her in against his chest, simultaneously swiping a dumbbell from her floor and lobbing it at the deranged gymnast astride the window. Kodachi was knocked out instantly and toppled out of view.

"Akane, you okay?" His voice was full of concern, a frown worried his forehead.

"Ranma…" She could only breathe, clasped so safely in his arms, "I'm okay. Th- thanks, Ranma." It was moments like this which always made her wonder…

He smiled and let her down. With a quick nod he walked out of her room, calling out, "Hey! Someone call the Kunos and tell them their daughter's fainted in our backyard."

Turning back to her desk, Akane quietly crumpled up the sheet of paper lying on it and threw it into the dustbin.

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_I don't think that counted as a drabble... =.=" So that's why I added ficlets to the summary! :D_

_I particularly like the "He snores" part! :D :D :D I honestly can't remember if he does or not, I think it's only Genma who snores... But eh... this is my fanifc, I'll make Ranma SNOOORE!! :D_

_Review please? *gooey eyes*_


	6. Shield

_**Disclaimer:**__ Disembodied voice from heaven, "Thou shalt NOT lie!"_

_...Can't disobey that voice, ne? Okay okay... Ranmadoesnotbelongtome! *Whew!* Now that THAT's over..._

_On with the story!! ^o^_

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_**Shield**_

It was a girls' night out, and thirteen year old Yuka was excitedly recalling the latest hit movie in the theatres.

"And then, the bad guy shot at her, but the hero, he actually jumped in front of her and took the shot! Oh my God, he really was ready to die for her! You could see how much they loved each other!" Yuka squealed.

"That's _so_ romantic…" sighed Sayuri.

"Isn't it?!!! Oh my GOD! Don't you wish you had someone like that?! Who would be ready to shield you from any danger! I so _soo_ want someone like that, who could love me so much! ...I wish..."

"Yeah… _*sigh* _I wish I could find someone who'd be ready to die for me…"

Akane sat quietly beside her day-dreaming friends, listening to them squeal. 'A knight in shining armor…'

~*~

Sixteen year old Akane sat in the living room next to her sisters. It was the end of the beginning.

"My good friend Genma is bringing his son from China.… One of you will marry him."

"Ranma Saotome... Sorry about that."

"Oh, he wants to marry Akane!"

Akane looked at the small red-head in front of her. 'An arranged marriage with a guy who turns into a girl...'

There wouldn't be any knights or shields in her fairy tale…

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_Oh, how very very wrong she was!!! :D _

_This idea had been lurking for quite sometime in my head! Finally got it out! Wow, my head feels so much lighter!! o.O _

_Ehh... even a small idea like this makes a difference to my brain weight??!! O.O" =.=" I don't want to think about the implications..._

_So, I'm sure Akane must have also dreamed of her Prince Charming before the whole "beat her to date her" debacle... So, here's a small snippet regarding her fantasies... ^o^_

_If you like KitKats, please review, or I shall drown them all!! Muahhahaha~ *sweatdrop*_


	7. Akane's Smile

**_Discaimer:_**_ Repetition is redundant. That's my excuse of the day! :D_

_This one is kind of like a continuation of the previous drabble. But yeah, regardless, it can stand on its own too! ^o^_

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_**Akane's Smile**_

Everything felt unreal. She could hardly breathe, or keep her eyes open. _Fire._ There was so much _fire._ She was parched. What were they doing? It was burning her. What happened? She felt so woozy. Water… What happened to the water? She felt herself floating away…

Dimly, she could hear Ranma talking to her. "I won! Just hold on one minute! AKANE!"

He was safe. He had won. Ranma…

From years ago, something she had heard echoed in her ears... '_Don't you wish you had someone who would be ready to die for you?'_

In the end, it hadn't mattered. In the end, all she had wanted was to keep him safe, to be his shield. In the end, she had wanted him to live. In the end, she was dying. Love worked in weird ways.

'I love you, Ranma…'

Akane smiled.

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_This is set in the Saffron arc, when Akane was turned into a doll trying to save Ranma, and then absorbed one of Saffron's attacks while in doll form. She was really really brave, right? ^o^_

_I always wondered about how relevant the perception of a true lover being a "Knight in shining armor" is to girls. You always hear girls squealing about Knights in armors and stuff. But is that really true love? Isn't it more like you'd want to die for him? As long as he's safe..._

_Ah well, not that I've been in true love or anything... :D_

_Reviews!!! I love reviews~ Lalalala~  
_


	8. Something Precious

**_Disclaimer:_**_ Ranma 1/2 is... is... i..s... *choke* not... mi...n..e... ToT  
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_**Something Precious**_

His breath fanned on her lips, so close… So warm… So _addicting…_ He was like a drug, alluring, enticing and she could not stop… She was on the bed… His bed? Her bed? Whose was it? Did it matter? And his lips were back, bruising, assaulting, _addicting…_ And she needed to feel, to touch, to know it was real, _to feel…_

What happened to her? She used to be so independent, so strong, so proud… When did she become so needy? Dimly, she wondered if she had lost something precious…

And his lips were back… And she forgot to think…

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_Take that! Exactly a HUNDRED WORDS! ^o^ I did it! I did it! Tcha tcha tcha~ I gotcha~ Tcha tcha tcha~ Say whatcha~ ^o^ ^o^ ^o^ ^o^  
_

_Finally finally finally **FINALLY** a drabble! A p-r-o-p-e-r drabble! *Dew-kissed roses blossom in the background as lily-throated larks trill~ A sparkling rainbow swoops overhead, and a glimmering shower of stars cascades down~ Author dies of happiness overload and goes to heaven~* ^o^  
_

_-SNAP!- _

_*Back to reality* =.="  
_

_The chapter title is - well I wouldn't exactly call it a pun - doubly loaded. One is the obvious reference that is explained within the chapter itself. But also, if you think about it, humans would never give up anything that is precious to them, unless it be for a greater cause - something that is more precious, so to say. So, the "something precious" need not be about what she's giving up._

_Eh... =.=" That was so __cliché... ~It's not a perfect ending! It's the perfect beginning~ :D Famous last words from Anastasia (1997). So, who do you think the girl is? Akane, Ukyo, Nabiki... Kasumi? Naah.... -*scrunchy eyes* Shampoo? Uh, I dunno... She's difficult to understand... *scrunchier eyes* I like to think that the guy is Ranma though! :D  
_

_I even made it a drabble proper! Please review? ^o^  
_


	9. All the Reasons for that Smile

**_Disclaimer: _**_Heh! Rumiko Takahashi could write way better than this! Do I need to say more?;)_

_So, this one is based on the opening theme song of Shounen Onmyouji - Egao no Wake wo Subete._

_There's a beautiful line in the song, which says: "Mamoritai, Shinjitai, Egao no wake wo subete." And that means, "I want to protect, I want to believe, All the reasons for that smile." It's a beautiful song, and a wonderful anime, go watch it! ^o^  
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_**All the Reasons for That Smile**_

_It hurts. Mama is gone. She won't come back. It hurts so much. I want to cry. Daddy has stopped talking. Nabiki is not eating. Akane keeps looking for Mama. It hurts. Mama, come back. I want to cry._

"Oneechan, where is Mama?"

Kasumi looked down at the little lost girl, and put up a smile. "Mama has gone to see God, Akane-chan. He's very lonely up there, right? So He called Mama for a few days to take care of Him."

"I want Mama back."

"She'll come back soon, Akane-chan. Very soon. But, if she sees you like this, she'll be sad, won't she? Now, be her strong little girl and chin up?"

"Really? She'll come back soon?"

"Definitely." She smiled again.

"Okay, Oneechan!"

_Lies need to be told sometimes. To keep the pain at bay, to keep small hearts from breaking, to shield, to protect._

_**I want to protect.**_

"Why did you lie to her?"

She turned around to find Nabiki standing at the doorway, her eyes coldly glaring.

"Because she needed to hear that."

"Mama is not coming back"

Pain, so much pain. "I know."

"Nothing is going to go back to the way it was. Everything is going to be different!"

She smiled a sad little smile. "I know."

"Nothing will ever be alright!"

She did not say anything, and Nabiki turned around and left.

When she finally said something, the wind snatched the soft words away. "It will be alright. Someday, it will be."

_**I want to believe.**_

Dinner was ready, it was time to serve. Hefting the huge tray, too big for the little nine year old to carry, Kasumi carefully walked to her father's room. She paused for a moment, listening to the silence that loomed all over the house. Daddy would probably not speak again, or touch the food. But, she would have to try. Maybe this time…

She opened the door and walked in. "Daddy, dinner is ready."

_**All the reasons for that smile…**_

Kasumi smiled.

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_My first Kasumi fic! *Fireworks!* Baba-daba-dooba~ Grooova-daba-dooba~_

_And since some people might not read the notes on top, I'll be the parrot and do the parroting! ^o^ The big bad bold black (alliteration, ahoy~ ^o^) words are from the song Egaono Wake wo Subete. The actual words are: "Mamoritai, Shinjitai, Egao no wake wo subete." ^o^_

_And, for those of you, who don't read footnotes either, hold on..._

_*Unghhh... Nghh... iiiyaaaAARRGHHHHH* YES! I just telepathied it to you! Woohoo! ^o^ ^o^_

_And if you didn't get it: "Author is unavailable at the moment; she is hiding under the bed. Please leave you message after the beep." _

_The End._


	10. Egao no Wake wo Subete

_**Disclaimer: **I shall commit suicide after posting this. And then, I shall be reborn as Rumiko Takahashi's grandkid. And I shall LEGALLY inherit all rights to Ranma 1/2! So there!_

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_**Egao no Wake wo Subete**_

Every bone in his body ached from exhaustion. His breath came in puffs, blood slowly trickled down from his temples. But he refused to give up. Akane… They had Akane.

_I will get her back! _

He fell. He rose up again. He fell once more, and he rose up, once again.

_**Mamoritai!**_

He charged once again, arms akimbo, aiming for a deadly strike. He bellowed in anger, raw throated, desperate.

_I will get her back! I won't lose her! I can't lose her! Not now, not ever! She said she loves me!_

_**Shinjitai…**_

"HIRYUU SHOUTEN HA!"

As the violent winds of chi faded away, he felt the last of his strength leave him. He had won. She was safe. As he collapsed, he felt, more than he saw, Akane running towards him.

"Ranma!"

Her voice was tear-laced. It hurt...

He raised his hand uncertainly, reaching out towards the sound of her voice. 'Akane, smile for me…'

_**Egao no Wake wo Subete…**_

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_Listening to the song 52 times (there are 26 episodes in Shounen Onmyouji, and I watched them all twice, back-to-back. I'm an otaku, why yes, thank you! ^o^) made me fall head-over-heels in love with this line! ^o^ Ah, young love~_

_Parrot-impression no. 2: The bold worlds mean "I want to protect... I want to believe... All the reasons for that smile..."  
_

_In any case, while I was thinking about how beautiful this line is, it occured to me that it could be interpreted in two ways (if you ignore the punctuation, which is typically ignored while listening. :D ). Eeeh? This is so much like the classic example of "Woman without her man is nothing." Punctuate as you please! ;) :D_

_So, anyway, here's my second interpretation of that line. Err... Is the difference clear? =.="_

_Review pleaseeeeeee!!!! ^o^  
_


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